The time-honored way of showing love in an Italian family is to offer food. Whether we're celebrating, mourning, happy, sad--if we're breathing, there's a table filled with great things to eat. Life's too short, so eat what you love and love what you eat.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

I love cheeseburgers. I've had them stuffed, topped with frizzled onions, made with Waygu beef, but until today, I'd never had a cheeseburger soup. Count me a fan

Ingredients

2 spray(s) cooking spray

1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced

1 medium uncooked onion(s), chopped

1 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, chopped

1 pound(s) uncooked 93% lean ground beef

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cup(s) canned chicken broth, divided

1 cup(s) low-fat evaporated milk

Directions

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add garlic, onion and celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Coat a 3-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.

Place same skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 6 minutes; pour off any liquid and add meat to slow cooker.

In a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until lump-free. Pour flour mixture into same skillet; add remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, and then pour into slow cooker; stir in evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 2 hours. Serve soup topped with crumbled chips. Yields about 3/4 cup of soup and 3 tablespoons of chips per serving.

8 oz low fat cheddar or colby cheese, cubed

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

24 item(s) baked low fat tortilla chips, crumbled

8 servings (3/4 cup soup, 3 chips) 5 PP

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TASTE NOTES

This may not be the prettiest dish I've ever prepared, but it was the perfect antidote to a raw, rainy day. The soup is thick and filling and is truly reminiscent of that iconic American classic, the cheeseburger. I will probably just make it on top of the stove next time and I will definitely add some corn. Other than that, it was perfect as is.